"Atomic Blonde," in theaters now, is directed by David Leitch, half of the director duo behind the John Wick films. "Atomic Blonde" stars Charlize Theron as MI6 agent Lorraine Broughton and James McAvoy as Berlin station chief, David Percival. The film is based on the graphic novel "The Coldest City" written by Antony Johnson and illustrated by Sam Hart.
The film takes place near the end of the Cold War in 1989 Berlin just days before the wall comes down uniting the east and west. Broughton is dispatched to meet up with Percival to recover a list containing the identities of all active intelligence agents operating in Berlin before the KGB does.
McAvoy and the rest of the cast give good performances, but the standout is Charlize Theron's performance in the action sequences, all of which contain Leitch's style of long takes and very few cuts to show the audience as much of the action as possible. For that reason, Theron doesn't have the luxury of a stunt double in many scenes and does a great job of pulling off the action herself.
Where the movie falters is during the down time between the action scenes. Leitch injects a very stylistic 80s aesthetic that keeps the transition scenes just entertaining enough to keep your attention, but it's not always enough to make up for the plot. The plot is very convoluted and ultimately tries to be too clever for its own good. Alliances shift seemingly scene to scene and it makes the story difficult to keep track of.
For those reasons, there are some plot threads that don’t pay off and some that seemingly pay off and then have tacked-on endings that don't make as much sense as they should.
Overall, "Atomic Blonde" has some thrilling action sequences that are genuinely impressive to watch. Despite the plot that doesn't always connect properly, watching Theron brutally fight her way through a small army of KGB agents is worth the price of admission.
3/5 stars
Image courtesy of Focus Features
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